Around the World in 80 Purees: Easy Recipes for Global Baby Food

Russia/Eastern Europe

Makes about 6 ounces 8m+

Kasha is often thought of as buckwheat porridge, but in parts of Eastern Europe, it’s the name of a semolina-based dish often served as breakfast with berries—as in this mannaya kasha (pronounced 'mun-nigh-uh kah-shah'). Warm and creamy, this porridge is wonderful for babies. To add flavor, perfume the milk with cinnamon or cardamom before whisking in the semolina. You can serve the semolina plain, with just the perfumed milk, or with added berries for a more authentic kasha.

Make:

In a 1-quart saucepan place milk and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently so milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot, and then remove from heat. Whisk in semolina. Return to low heat, stirring and whisking constantly until a porridge starts to form, 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve:

Stir in jam and/or optional butter. Serve at once; once cool, porridge can get gummy.

Sweet or Savory Kasha:

Replace the cinnamon and/or jam with a combination of other seasonings.

Sweet:

Clove

Nutmeg

Allspice

Anise

Saffron

Savory:

Paprika

Curry powder

Cumin

Ghee

Tomato and bail puree

Parmesan

A World of Flavor: Semolina

Semolina, the grain used to make pasta, is an ingredient in recipes all over the world. In South India, for example, it’s used to make a savory pudding seasoned with ghee and spices. It can also be turned into a sweet pudding called sheera when boiled with milk and cardamom.

Excerpted from Around the World in 80 Purees: Easy Recipes for Global Baby Food by Leena Saini. Reprinted with permission from Quirk Books.